Bringing Jews together

KLEZMER music arrived in Dunoon on Sunday at the latest event in the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities' Being Jewish in Scotland project.

Guests enjoyed a celebration of Jewish music with Glasgow's newest klezmer band, Kasha-Malasha.


BJiS project worker Fiona Frank said: "We'd been in touch with five or six local Jewish people prior to the event and weren't expecting a big audience. "However, when the doors of Sandford Village Hall opened at 3pm, more than 30 people turned up. 


"One woman who had recently moved to the area and was really missing contact with other Jewish people had been very surprised to see a notice about a Jewish event in the local paper. She came along with her husband. 


"Another was working in the area for a couple of weeks on a local farm and had heard about the event from a Jewish friend. 


"A third, an Israeli, came with her husband, a local man. Other people had seen the event advertised in the local paper and came because of an interest in Judaism or in klezmer." 

A kosher buffet was served and Fiona led a 'get-to-know-you' session. 

After the meal, everyone headed to the Braes in Dunoon where John Kelly and his musician friends had invited Kasha-Malasha to join in their regular Sunday afternoon music performance. 

After a few traditional Scottish tunes from John's group, it was time for klezmer.

Bob Leiser on double bass, Mirek Pukacz on fiddle, Richard Norris on clarinet and Fiona herself on concertina and melodeon, accompanied Marzanna Antoniak who sang a selection of traditional songs in Russian, Polish and Yiddish. 

Fiona led the audience in some traditional klezmer dancing.

After the music and dancing, some of the Jewish people from the area got together to share their experiences of being Jewish in Scotland. They shared contact details and hope to keep on meeting.

by Jewish Telegraph

photos by Aileen MacNicol (Dunoon Observer and Argyllshire Standard)